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Upgrade SACD/CD player from DCS Puccini to better DCS, Esoteric or EMM Labs?

I love the Puccini, but realize technology has moved on. I have thousands of SACDs and Redbook CDs, and many downloaded high resolution audio files.

I listened to a Vivaldi player-Rossini DAC combination at my friendly local dealer and it did not sound significantly better on Redbook CDs than the Puccini I currently own. However, there are many filters to play with on any DCS device to adjust sound...so I may not have given it a reasonable hearing.

I do not want to spend the money to buy the Vivaldi stack or Vivaldi One, although I could if need be. So, I am looking at slightly less expensive solutions like the Esoteric (P1, K01X, etc) and the newest EMM transport/DAC combinations. 

Any suggestions? I like analytical sound. My system currently includes McIntosh C22 tube preamp (newest version), ARC GS150 amplifier, and Wilson Audio Sasha 2 loudspeakers. The listening room is great, I have a great line conditioner and great cables.

Thank-you in advance for any advice - I do not have the ability to listen to all the high end (and now becoming archaic) SACD/CD/DAC combinations available for sale.
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gerryah930 OP
144 posts
 
Thank-you everyone for your expert feedback, and please keep it coming if you have recommendations. 

Probably the only way that I am going to know is to buy some home demonstration time. This is going to limit me to DCS products, as my local dealer, Paragon Sound, who are great, only sell DCS products in the niche that I am in...

I meant for the definition of the word "analytical" as the ability to discriminate different instruments, hopefully across a wide dynamic range. I did not mean to define it as "anti-musical", but I realize that this word has various meanings among domains.

caphill - I agree with you in regards to McIntosh versus ARC, but ARC preamplifiers have no tone controls. Having just read a book by Floyd O'Toole of the Acoustical Society,- he judged that the lack of bass was one of the biggest challenges in sound reproduction. 

Three high-end SACD/CD/DAC combinations for sale on Audiogon right now (or maybe they have been sold), including 2 from Esoteric and 1 from EMM. Still pondering...still dreaming (Jimi Hendrix)
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gerryah930 OP
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anwar - I have often wondered about the Marantz SA-10 SACD player. I heard the PS Audio DirectStrem combination and they seemed fine, although slightly less resolution than the DCS Puccini. The Marantz, on paper, would seem to represent a good product, but I have not read any reviews, although it has been out for a while, and I have not listened to one.

bar81 - The D'Agistino Momentum preamplifier sounds great, and the cost is not a problem, but I am more of a tube person.

caphill - I agree with you about the McIntosh - but I did get a great deal on it, and it reminds me of my youth. About bass - an instrument I used to play - my listening room is mostly underground or surrounded by 4 ft thick stone walls. Bass is a problem, and after reading Floyd Toole's book (2017) - "Sound Reproduction: The Acoustics and Psychoacoustics of Loudspeakers and Rooms (Audio Engineering Society Presents)", I realized the room was not properly reproducing very low frequencies (<40 HZ), a range I can still hear in my dotage. I could have inserted an equalizer into the loop, but I actually like the dulcet sound of the McIntosh preamp, which I can bypass if need be, depending on the music.

I may have found a solution to my search....more to follow...
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gerryah930 OP
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I have only heard the high-end T+A ("T plus A") player/DAC and it was great. I have not heard Vitus, CH Precision, MSB, Solution or Metronome, but they do have expensive product offerings and they seem to be of high quality. In my travels in Europe, folks seem to still value SACDs and CDs, as well as high-resolution downloads and streaming.
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